Are Perjeta and Herceptin given together?
PERJETA is given with another targeted treatment called Herceptin. Both treatments are designed to fight cancer cells that have too many HER2 receptors, but in different ways. Since normal cells also have HER2 receptors (just not as many), PERJETA and Herceptin can also affect healthy cells.
Is Herceptin and Perjeta considered chemotherapy?
Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab) used in combination with Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab), another targeted therapy medicine, and Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel), a type of chemotherapy, to treat HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer that hasn’t been treated with either Herceptin or chemotherapy yet.
How often should Herceptin be given?
It is most commonly given once every three weeks. Some people may have it weekly. You’ll usually have your treatment as an outpatient at the hospital, although some people are able to have their treatment at home. Trastuzumab is usually given with chemotherapy because this is how it has been studied in clinical trials.
How is Herceptin and Perjeta administered?
Traditionally, Herceptin and Perjeta are given intravenously, which means they’re delivered directly into your bloodstream through an IV or a port. The first dose of both medicines takes about an hour to complete. After that, it takes 30 to 60 minutes to get each dose.
Why is Herceptin given for a year?
Since 2005, the standard of care has been to give Herceptin for 1 year after surgery and chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence (the cancer coming back) of early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer. Like most cancer treatments, Herceptin can cause side effects, including possible heart damage.
How quickly does Herceptin work?
The first dose of Herceptin takes about 90 minutes. After that, it only takes about 30 minutes to get other doses of Herceptin.
Can you be on Herceptin for life?
Official Answer. When Perjeta (generic name: pertuzumab) and Herceptin (generic name: trastuzumab) are used to treat HER2+ early breast cancer as adjuvant treatment (after surgery), this regimen may be continued every 3 weeks for one year (up to 18 cycles).
Does Herceptin and Perjeta cause fatigue?
The most common side effects of PERJETA when given with Herceptin and docetaxel for treatment of breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) are diarrhea, hair loss, low levels of white blood cells with or without fever, nausea, feeling tired, rash, and damage to the nerves (numbness, tingling …